


Seeing Blind

by papergirlpapertownn (bellamyblakesgirl)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, First War with Voldemort, Hurt/Comfort, James Potter is a Good Friend, Major Original Character(s), Multi, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Person of Color James Potter, Protective Remus Lupin, Ravenclaw, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, Werewolf Remus Lupin, Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter), Y'all this starts off happy but it gets sad hella fast
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:53:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27539452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellamyblakesgirl/pseuds/papergirlpapertownn
Summary: When Cressida Tonks was six years old she told everyone around her that a man would land on the moon. No one took her seriously until three years later The States did just that. When she was ten she predicted that her brother would meet the love of his life.Three weeks later, Ted met Andromeda.One year after that, Cressida gets her letter to Hogwarts.
Relationships: Andromeda Black Tonks & Original Female Character(s), Dorcas Meadowes & Original Female Character(s), Dorcas Meadowes/Emmeline Vance, Emmeline Vance & Original Female Character(s), James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, James Potter/Original Female Character(s), Marlene McKinnon & Lily Evans Potter, Remus Lupin/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter, Ted Tonks & Original Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 32





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I know I haven't posted on here in a while, but hopefully that will change soon. My muse is fickle as all of you know, and I've been working on this story for a while. It's originally posted on ff.net but I wanted to moved it over here!
> 
> I hope you guys love it, because it's been the only thing keeping me going these past few weeks haha. I'm also taking my time updating this one, so beware.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, that honor belongs to the transphobe unfortunately. I do own Cressida, her family, and my depiction of the Marauder era. Any similarities to other fics is completely coincidental.

**Prologue:**

Cressida found her first tarot card deck when she was four years old. Upset at having her favorite toy stolen by her mother for smacking Ted when he'd beaten her at one of his stupid made up games, she'd gone searching the house. The newly installed floorboards creaked underneath her bare feet as she tip-toed through the halls, well aware of her Mother's late nights and her Father's tendency to sleep through almost anything.

She was grateful Ted had decided to go explore the neighborhood with his friends because it gave her more time to get away with stealing her toy back. She caught sight of the bright red plastic on a shelf that was too high for her to even reach.

Not like that was going to stop her.

She didn't even tip-toe this time, the sound of her padding feet echoing through the empty halls of the small house, wood dragging across wood as she pushed the stool her father liked to rest his feet on back down the hallway. It skidded to a loud stop in front of the large closet door, and Cressida whipped her head around to see if she'd disturbed anyone.

When nothing answered her question, she turned back to the large stood, pulling herself upward until her fingers grazed the thing she'd spent all this time looking for. Huffing as she brought herself up on her tip-toes, she could almost reach it, and with one final pull, she went crashing to the ground, bruising her elbow and knee as pain shot through her. Silent tears welled up as they sprung down her cheeks, lip quivering.

She shouldn't have done this on her own. She should've just asked for it. She should've known it would lead to this. She should've known-

Her wail was cut off by something hitting her head and plopping onto the floor. She eyed the object, unsure what exactly they were. They looked like the cards Father played with, but more worn in and rubber banded together with one of those brown ones that always hurt her skin when Ted snapped them against her arm.

She didn't like it when he did that.

Abandoning the stool by the open closet door, she moved toward the kitchen table and undid the rubber band, the deck of cards spilling out onto the mismatched table, five swords staring up at her like they were daring her to touch them.

She did.

Instantly her head split in half from the pain, eyes rolling into the back of her head as flashes of women she'd never met and never known moved across her memory. Women with dark hair and wide eyes just like hers, all having been in the exact same spot she was now. But they all looked older.

They looked like her mother. Like her Grandmama Esme. They looked like her.

_"She's awake…"_ a voice that sounded unfamiliar poked into her brain.

Another flew in from the other side, _"...she's strong...good. This gift will do her no favors...not with what's coming."_

_"We don't know what's coming…."_

_"...it doesn't matter if we don't…..she will…"_

The voices were like birds, tweeting and fluttering and diving and clawing and biting as if they all wanted a piece of her. Like she was a freshly dropped piece of meat on the ground left open for anyone to feed on. Her nerves electrified themselves, voices pouring into her until she lit up, a beacon of untold power that hadn't been felt in generations.

Not that she knew that then.

There was very little she knew then.

But she always remembered what she saw. Her brother Ted dressed in bright yellow and black school robes as he boarded a train. Her mother crying into her father's shoulder. Her friend Abbie stepping into a silver sedan as a woman in a grey pantsuit closed the door.

And then she felt it. A small tug asking her to look further. To dig deeper into what she'd already seen.

_No._ A sterner, more motherly voice called out to her. It was younger than the previous ones, reminding her of Grandmama Esme's. It even sounded a little bit like her mother. Cressida sunk deeper into the new images, hoping to find one of the woman who'd told her off. A sharp pain rattled her head again and she was thrown back, shoulders colliding with the wooden chair as sweat dripped down her face.

She'd have to ask for a bath when Mother got home. The images were fresh in her brain, lingering there like a moving picture.

But that wasn't what confused her. What confused her was the way the cards seemed to hum as she grew closer to them. Some were louder than others, and she hummed the tune as she shuffled them around, carefully picking through each one as the sun sank lower into the sky.

She stayed at that table until the door opened and footsteps were heard in the kitchen.

"Hey sweetie," Mother pressed a kiss in her hair before moving to make dinner for the night, "What have you been doing all day?"

Cressida bit the inside of her cheek as she stared at the three cards before her. They matched what she'd seen and the memory flashed over her brain with a musical tone that made her feel like what she was seeing was correct. "Abbie's gonna be with her mother soon."

Mother froze. "What?"

Cressida brought her eyes up to meet the bright blue ones of her mum, shrugging. "Abbie's leaving her dad."

Her mother chuckled slightly and her dad flipped the newspaper down to join the conversation. Cressida hadn't even realized her dad had shown up.

"And did Abbie tell you this sweetie?" Her mother asked, and Cressida shrunk back at the tone. It sounded like she was mad at her. And Cressida didn't want her mum to be mad at her.

"No," She said sheepishly, trying to hide underneath her thick curls, "The cards did."

Her mother's smile fell into a frown, the stern tone returning, "What cards?"

The humming grew fainter as her mother drew closer.

In fact, there was no humming coming from her mother at all. But one of the cards was calling out to her, a high pitched musical tone that begged to be recognized. Could Mama hear it too?

How did she ignore it?  
It already made Cressida's head pound.

Something flashed over her mother's face as she caught sight of the cards on the table, eyes widening and breathing heavy.

"Florence?" Her father called from his seat at the end of the table. Mother shook her head, sweeping up the cards and rubberbanding them up again. Cressida could hear the pained whine they let out, asking to be set free. She wanted to learn more about them.

About what she was doing.

She wanted to learn about the women she saw, about the voice that dared her to go further. She wanted to learn all of it.

"Call Mum," Cressida heard her mother say, "Tell her she's watching Ted tonight, that it's a family emergency. She'll know what that means."  
Father nodded as he picked up the phone, dialing a number while Mama took Cressida's hands in hers.

"Whatever happens," She said calmly, stroking the dark curls on her daughter's head, "Your father and I love you very much. Please know that."

Cressida nodded, tears threatening to push their way out at the sound of her mum's voice. "I didn't mean to find them," She admitted, hoping it would make her mother less mad at her, "I just...I wanted my toy back and they fell down and I wanted something to play with and-"

Her mum pulled her close, shushing her as she squeezed tightly. Father picked out their jackets and the next thing Cressida knew, she was being loaded into the car while her father drove them into the night.

She doesn't remember much of what happened next, but she remembers being given an orange bottle of white pills to take every night and her father buying her a bright red journal as a gift on their way back.

Her mother told her that they would help her sleep. That they would help her focus in school. That's what they were worried about.

The doctor had told them that she was 'at risk' whatever that meant. But Cressida couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else. Her mother was the bravest person she knew, so why would a deck of cards scare her?

"There you are," Grandmama Esme engulfed Mama in a hug before turning to Father. "I was beginning to worry, is everything alright?"

Mother nodded, letting out a soft sigh as she pulled Cressida closer. She leaned into the embrace, holding tightly onto her mother's leg. "We found a solution, hopefully, it's the right one."

Esme looked between Cressida and Mother with a skeptical look on her face, dark eyes meeting blue. "Are you sure this is the right decision? I mean, the cards haven't called to anyone since-"

"Mum!" Florence Tonks cut the older woman off with a withering glare, "I don't care how long it's been. This is what's right for her."

Grandmama Esme looked like she was getting ready to disagree again, but closed her mouth when she caught sight of Cressida. "Come here, скъпа"

She rushed into her grandmother's arms, squeezing tightly as they collided.

Esme pulled away and knelt down until she was face level with her. "Your Mother loves you so much do you know that?"

Cressida nodded, "Yes Baba. I love her too."

Grandmama smiled at that, tucking a soft curl away from her face. "Good."

Esme stood up again, grunting in pain as she did so. Cressida didn't know much about getting older, but she knew that her Baba's once dark hair now held greying streaks and wrinkles had started to gather around her cheeks.

"Teddy went to sleep with as much trouble as he could," She informed Mother and Father, chuckling as she did, "You have quite the little monkey on your hands."

Mother smiled at her words and offered to show her out.

"Come on pumpkin," Father bent down with a smile, "Let's go to bed"

Cressida smiled and leapt onto her father's back, clutching onto his neck as they ascended the small staircase, his arms outstretched as he became an airplane for her to ride on until she drifted to sleep among the clouds.

But she didn't fall asleep. Not that night or the next. Instead, all she saw were nightmares. Of beasts and snakes and lions who snapped at each other and tore each other apart until there was nothing but mangled corpses and death in the air.

And when Abbie's mother won custody of her in the legal battle a few months later, Cressida watched as her friend slid into the silver sedan alongside her mother's grey pantsuit and silently wondered what else she saw would come true.

* * *

Her Hogwarts letter came seven years later. Ted's came on his birthday, being born in June and accompanied by a stern woman with her hair in a bun and an explanation for everything Cressida had ever been experiencing.

Ted's random ability to somehow always make her favorite toys disappear. His weird habit of rearranging his bedroom because a different thing was always out of place. She'd even been there for the big one, when he'd accidentally shattered every glass in the house because he couldn't figure out how to do fractions.

Professor McGonagall, she'd said her name was, accent thick and bright green robes clashing with the pastel colors Cressida's mother had spent ages picking out.

The stern woman hadn't brought Cressida's letter. Instead, a large tawny owl with wide amber eyes simply hooted and dropped her letter in her lap as the summer began.

"Well go on then," Ted spoke with a wry smile on his face, "We all know who it's from."

She'd smacked his shoulder again, shaking off the look her mum sent her as she slid her finger underneath the bright green wax, the seal crumbling as the parchment spilled open, loopy writing detailing those words that she'd been waiting to hear since Ted received his letter, Mother and Father looking on eagerly.

"Dear Miss Tonks," She read aloud, unable to contain the smile on her face, "We are pleased to announce that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" She exclaimed, celebratory cheers erupting around her as Ted drew her in for a hug and her mother plucked the letter from her hands with a smile.

But something else lay behind her Mama's eyes. Something Cressida hadn't seen since that awful day with the cards. But she shook it away, because she was going to be a wizard! She was magical like Ted!

All of that stuff and humming must have been one of those weird wizarding spells that Ted had done before he'd been accepted. Cressida was finally going to be with people exactly like her.

"We very much look forward to receiving you as part of the new generation of Hogwarts heritage," Her mother recited with a smile on her face, "This is so great. Now you'll be with Ted, at least for a little bit."

"As long as she doesn't distract me from my work," Ted teased, ruffling her hair as she scoffed.

Cressida shook her head and pushed him playfully, "Oh please, you're too busy snogging Andromeda to get anything done"

"Hey!" He called out, her chuckle catching the rest of them off guard as Ted moved to defend himself, "I'll have you know I'm nearly top of my class."

"And we're proud of you for it," Their father cut in, playing peacemaker between the two, "Both of you." He slammed his newspaper on the table, standing up with a wide smile on his face, "I think this calls for a celebration don't you?"

Cressida and Ted shared a wide smile, the two nodding excitedly and their mother rolled their eyes, but even she had a smile on her face. "I'll get my coat."

A cheer erupted between the two siblings and they raced to tie their shoes and button their coats, scrambling down the stairs toward the garage door, anxiously waiting for their parents to follow after them.

"I wonder what house I'm in!" She thought aloud, unable to keep the excitement at bay. Ted smirked as he leaned in, "Maybe you won't be in any house," He responded, a mischievous look in his eye, "Maybe the sorting hat won't sort you anywhere."

She smacked his arm again. "Shut up," Cressida pouted, "I'm going to be sorted. Probably faster than you anyway."

Ted shrugged, a proud smirk on his face, "I don't know, I was sorted pretty quickly."

Cressida rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the anxiety creeping up into her throat. What if Ted was right? What if she wasn't magical at all? What if the hat declared that she was a fraud in front of everybody and she had to go back to a normal school?

Mother and Father weren't wizards, why should she be?

Ted was probably some weird anomaly in their family. The rest of them were ordinary. She was ordinary.

"You two troublemakers ready?" Mama asked as she rounded the corner, Father not far behind. Cressida lifted her eyes to meet her mum's.

"Mama, am I ordinary?"

"Of course not sweetie," Mother crouched down and stroked her hair like she did all those years ago. Father sent a stern look Ted's way, her brother only shrugged. "The school wouldn't have sent that letter if you were."  
Cressida nodded, anxiety lessening as they followed their parents into the car, driving down the street until they reached their favorite place to eat out. But she was so consumed with that doubt that Ted had placed into her head, she couldn't enjoy her food.

She was a wizard. She got a letter.

She was going to Hogwarts. They were picking up her school supplies tomorrow.

Ted was wrong. Obviously, if he was a wizard she was one too.

He was being ridiculous. The Hat wouldn't tell her no. She'd be accepted into a house just like Ted was. She'd make friends and-

As she snuggled into bed, a horrible thought struck her. What if no one wanted to be her friend? She wasn't from one of those rich families like Ted said Andromeda was. In fact, she didn't even know anything about Hogwarts that wasn't what Ted had already told her.

What if she failed at performing magic? What if no one wanted to be her friend because she was the weird girl who couldn't do anything right?

Who had to take medicine to sleep at night.

Who got weird headaches and heard incessant humming everywhere she went.

That's who'd she'd be. The weird girl with no magical family to speak of. An outcast surrounded by high walls and only her brother for company. No way to call home or turn to her mother for company.

She didn't get any sleep that night, although she was unsure whether it was because of doubt or excitement. All she knew was that she was tired and her head hurt again. Ted wasn't helping either with his always waking up earlier than the sun attitude and barging into her room with a wide smile on his face.

"Come on Cress!" He called out, throwing open her curtains as he practically bounced against the walls, "It's Diagon Alley time! And that means I get to show you the best places to go."

Cressida groaned as she pulled herself out of her bed, sighing as the sunlight streamed through her walls and her brother smirked at her misery.

"It's barely eight-thirty," She moaned, rubbing some of the sleep out of her eyes. Ted only smiled wider as he began to walk backward, almost colliding with the doorframe on his way out.

"The early bird gets the worm, Cress! Come on, Mum and Dad are waiting downstairs. Don't wanna disappoint them do you?"

She rolled her eyes at his antics and dressed, trying to tame a stray curl before huffing and giving up.

"How do we get there?" Cressida asked as she joined the rest of her family in the dining room. Her father and mother were examining her Hogwarts letter, a stack of books on the table. She recognized most of them as Ted's from his first year at school.

Her Mum must have noticed her eyeing them cause she said, "They're still in good enough shape for you to use this year, we'll have to go shopping for everything else though." Her Mum turned back to examine the list before realizing that her daughter had actually asked a question, "And we're driving, like we did with Ted."

Cressida nodded as she picked apart the thin pages of her brother's old textbooks. They were in good shape despite Ted's usual mishandling of school supplies, although she thought she spied a tea stain every now and then.

Sitting down at the table, she opened the first page of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, a soft smile appearing on her face as she read Emeric Switch's descriptions of turning a pencil into a snake, and how to achieve such a simple task. She was halfway through the first chapter when the sound of jangling keys pulled her away from the book, her mother calling for her to join them in the garage.

She could hardly keep her excitement in, smile growing wider as she climbed into the backseat clutching onto her secondhand book, not wanting to let go of it the whole way. She spent most of the drive reading through the different techniques and ways to transfigure one thing to another, ignoring the world around her as cars beeped and honked and rushed past her. She was lost in a land of her own, envisioning herself waving a wand and turning a lamppost into a squirrel with ease and shocking everyone around her.

It would be like one of those magicians her parents used to take her to on her birthday. The guys who pulled rabbits out of hats and turned paper roses into real ones.

She was nearly halfway through the book when they reached Charing Cross, Ted escorting them the rest of the way through the winding roads and giant groups of people until he stopped in front of a decrepit old shop that seemed to be squished between a bookstore and a record store, a shabby sign swinging back and forth with the words The Leaky Cauldron Public House scrawled in nice cursive on it.

"Uh Teddy," Cressida spoke up, unsure why her parents hadn't commented on it, "Hate to break it to you, but this is a pub, not a place to buy school supplies," She cocked her head at him, wondering if this was another one of his jokes, "Am I even old enough to head in?"

Ted chuckled and shook his head, his insufferable smirk was back, like he knew something she didn't. She didn't like not knowing.

"That's because the place we're going is behind the Pub, Cressy,"

Mum fidgeted before gesturing toward the shabby shop, "Can we go in, please? Before people start to stare at us?"  
Ted sighed and opened the creaky door, the sounds of cheery music and loud conversation filling her ears as she moved through the crowded tables, staring at the brightly colored robes of the people around her.

"Hey, Tom!" Ted waved to the bartender, who gave a smile and a wave back before fixing up a drink for his next customer.

One man had what looked like a stick stuck into a wild mane of curls, his animated expression clashing against the serious one of his companion. They seemed to be in some kind of heated discussion, although Cressida couldn't tell what it was due to Mum and Dad pushing her along with as much haste as they could muster. It was clear they felt like outsiders in this community, wary looks sent toward certain people near the back of the pub, one with shockingly blonde hair before Ted lead them outside into a small courtyard, poking several bricks in the wall with his wand as the stone began to move, opening a portal into the world Cressida would be living for nine months.

A cobblestone alley opened up before her, stretching out like the yellow brick road, hundreds of shops lining either side and Cressida wished she had time to go through each and every one of them.

Several other alleys branched off into different pathways and roads to take, hundreds of people crowding the streets. Some with hats and the same robes she'd seen earlier and some dressed in similar clothes to Cressida and her family, looking just as confused as they pulled their kid through the maddening crowds.

For some reason, seeing so many people in the same situation lessened the anxiety she was feeling. Maybe she wouldn't be alone. Maybe she wouldn't be the only one who struggled to learn. Something was bothering her though, ever since they'd entered the pub. It was faint, but every time a person in one of those robes passed her it grew louder. After accidentally bumping into a stout woman in pink robes who'd huffed at her, Cressida understood what it was.

It was that humming again. It had started back when they'd been in the pub, only now it surrounded her everywhere she went, growing louder and fainter as wizards and witches passed her in a hurry to get where they needed to go.

She felt as if her head was being squeezed, like a watermelon with a hundred rubber bands on it. They pressed against her, begging her to explore each and every one of them. Shaking her head, Cressida clutched tighter to her mother, hoping the humming would go away soon.

It didn't.

Ted had disappeared from their side, no doubt to go find Andromeda and get a quick snog in before they had to leave. Not that they would be anytime soon. If it were up to Cressida she'd spend the whole day at Diagon Alley, wandering the different paths until she'd explored everything it had to offer.

A giant marble building lay near the end of the long road, large letters spelling out Gringotts. Her parents were headed toward it, dragging Cressida behind her as they passed a series of shops. One was a pet shop where hundreds of owls seemed packed together with sleek feathers and wide eyes, staring her down. Another smelled like rotten eggs and fish, smoke curling up from the vials in the window as a giant cauldron stood outside the door, different liquids glowing different colors. But it was the last one that caught her interest. There were only a few shops between it and the giant marble building they were headed to, but she read the curled script and saw the towering shelves of books waiting to be read and picked up she just couldn't help herself.

"Mum," She called, tugging on her mother's sleeve. The woman turned toward where she was pointing, a smile curling on her face as she caught sight of the tall bookshelves. Cressida turned to her mother with a pleading look on her face, tugging harder, "Can I go while you and dad are in there?" She pointed at the towering white building before dropping her arm, "Pleaseeeeee?"

Her mother sighed slightly, mouth opening like she was going to say no. "Stay within shouting distance of the manager," She instructed, "And don't leave the shop."

Cressida squealed as she ran forward, the bell ringing as she entered the bookstore. Instantly her nose was hit with the smell of freshly pressed books and the sound of candles burning. Exactly as she liked it.

She ran her fingers over the spines of the books, gravitating toward a display near the front window of the store, where most of the textbooks were placed. The ones Cressida was interested in didn't involve schoolwork though. The title had drawn her curiosity, especially since the cover had the picture of a stack of cards matching the ones she'd brought with her on it. The ones she'd used to play with and bring to school when her mum wasn't looking.

Tarot cards. She'd since learned their name and what they did.

Apparently, it was a wizard thing as well.

She picked up the book, turning it over in her hands as she traced the golden letters with her finger. _Uncovering the Unseen: A Seer's Guide to Divination_.

Was that what she was? Was there a word for what she was? For what she heard?

She was a witch. Clearly, this must be for people who were older than her. Seer was their job, not some kind of different type of wizard or witch.

But that didn't stop her curiosity.

The sound of the ringing bell pulled her back into the shop, watching as a skinny boy with light brown hair entered with his dad. While the dad went immediately to speak to the manager about his son's books, the boy drew closer to one of the displays near her. His shoulders were hunched over and his head hung low, like he was trying to hide something.

Immediately the humming grew louder, like it was drawing her to him.

Cressida moved over toward the display the boy was at, tucking the book she'd picked up underneath her arm. The display held books on something called Quidditch, most covers showing a flying broomstick or a weird red ball flying through a golden hoop. It reminded her of soccer, although she was sure that Manchester didn't fly during their games. Not that she really noticed. Ted was always the one who loved sports, although she did try her hand at soccer when she was younger before failing miserably. Maybe she'd try Quidditch too.

"Do you play?" She asked the boy, hoping to make some kind of connection before heading off to a school where she knew nobody.

The boy snapped his head up, wide eyes meeting her own as fear flashed over his face. It didn't take Cressida long to see why. Three large scars etched themselves into his pale face, evenly spaced and resembling claw marks, she now understood why he'd kept his head down.

"I'm sorry?" He stumbled out, like he couldn't believe she was really talking to him. Cressida gestured to the stack of books beside them.

"Quidditch, or whatever it's called," She explained, picking up a book and flipping through some of the pages, "Do you play?"

The boy chuckled slightly, a red tinge to his cheeks as he moved closer, still hanging his head down when he wasn't talking to her. "No, not really. I watch it with my dad sometimes but I don't play."

Cressida smiled, happy that her first interaction with someone hadn't gone horribly wrong. And then he asked a question she didn't want to answer.

"What about you? Do you play or watch or…" The boy gulped, like he wasn't used to talking to someone his own age.

Cressida chuckled slightly as she placed the book back down, "Uh no, I don't. I don't really know what it is."

Recognition flashed over the boy's face before he turned his gaze toward the ground. Cressida bit her cheek, already hating herself for revealing that she wasn't born a wizard. God how stupid was she? Of course, he'd assume she was one, she was here talking about a wizard sport with him for god's sake!

His eyes flicked up to meet hers, hands shoved deep into his pockets, looking like he was getting ready to say something but was thinking it over. "So your parents are Muggles then?"

Cressida stepped back at his words, irritation stirring in her gut as he said that word. She didn't know what it meant, but it didn't sound good. Cressida may not get along with her parents all the time, but she didn't think they deserved to be insulted.

"Okay, well if you're going to insult me and my parents-"

"No no that's not what I meant!" The boy quickly called out, reaching out and groaning as he brought his hands to his face, "No I just- That's how wizards refer to non-magical people. It isn't bad I promise."

She stopped in her tracks, slowly turning back around at his words. "You're sure?"

"Positive," He spoke with a small smile on his face, Hands stuffed back into his pocket's. "I'm Remus by the way," he held his hand out with the same shy look on his face and Cressida gently took it with a smile on hers.

"Cressida." She shook it once before he snatched it back, a wider smile on his face as he stuffed it back into his pants pocket.

"If you want to learn more about Quidditch," He began, shuffling around the bookstore as she followed him, "Flourish and Blotts has a ton of stuff back here," The two of them rounded a corner and saw shelves full of books on the subject, an entire section devoted to the sport. " _Quidditch Through the Ages_ is the most popular one, and it does a lot to teach you about the sport and how it works and…" His rambling trailed off as he met her gaze, worry swirling in his eyes as he saw how silent she was.

"This is so cool!" She exclaimed, running her fingers down the spines, "I can't believe there's a whole section to it."

Remus seemed to relax at her words and joined her in exploring the shelf, "Wizards take Quidditch very seriously." He looked over his shoulder before leaning in, like he was sharing a secret, "I've seen my dad get into rows over it."

Cressida giggled at his hushed tone, relishing in the new friend she'd made. "I can't believe my brother never told me about this!" She scoffed, "I mean, you'd think he'd have mentioned it at least once."

Remus went silent once again before asking another question, "Does your brother go to Hogwarts?"

Cressida smiled proudly, puffing out her chest, "Yep! He writes home all the time, so I know some things about it."

God, she hoped this boy didn't think she was stupid just because her brother refused to tell her about one of the big parts of the wizarding world. She did know some things. She knew about the houses and wands and the different subjects. She knew about the ghosts and the sorting ceremony. She wasn't stupid, she wanted to tell Remus. Her brother just didn't tell her everything.

Thankfully, he didn't seem to think she was. "What house do you think you'll get?" She asked, although immediately she could tell it was the wrong question. Remus ducked his head again, like he was avoiding the question altogether. She bit her lip at her carelessness. People probably already knew what house they were going to be in. She sounded stupid again.

"I don't really know," He finally answered, fidgeting back and forth, "I mean, I'm lucky I get to go to Hogwarts at all really."

Cressida smiled, "Me too! I thought for sure I wouldn't get accepted," She used that to find common ground, hoping it would be enough to salvage her mistake, "I mean, what are the chances of two magical kids?"

Remus chuckled along with her, although she could still feel the tension. It encircled the two of them like a bubble, threatening to break if either of them said the wrong thing. She moved the copy of Uncovering the Unseen back into her hands, the cover facing out as she held it in front of herself.

Remus's eyes caught sight of it and he gulped again, although this time his expression was unreadable and Cressida worried again. "I thought we didn't need that unless we were taking Divination," he asked warily and Cressida shook his worries away.

"We don't," She reassured him, watching his shoulders relax, "I just thought it looked interesting so I checked it out."

Remus nodded along, although Cressida wasn't sure if he actually believed what was being discussed in the book based on the skeptical look on his face.

She stepped forward again, the musical humming already making her head hurt as she reached for her bag, "I've actually predicted a few things," She bragged, hoping they could bond over their weird wizarding quirks, "I mean, they've been small but still."

Remus furrowed his brows at her comment, like he didn't quite believe her, "Really, like what?"

"My brother meeting his girlfriend," She responded with a chuckle, Remus joining her nervously. "I uh, I read some tarot cards and a few weeks later he met her." Silence hung over the two of them again, and suddenly something in her gut was tugging at her, almost like the cards were calling out to her, begging her to do a reading of the boy in front of her. The humming grew louder. "I could do yours if you wanted."

Silence met her words again and the boy brought a hand to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. Cressida's stomach knotted itself, waiting for his response for what seemed like forever.  
Just when Remus moved to say something, a voice called his name. The two of them snapped their heads toward the front of the store, Remus growing sheepish again.

"Coming Dad!" He called, an apologetic look on his face as he turned back to face her, "I'm so sorry I have to go. It was nice to meet you though!" he called as he moved back to the front of the store, disappearing behind a large stack of books.

"Nice to meet you too!" She called out to him, hoping Remus heard it before he left. The bell rang through the store again, drowned out by the faint humming that was still in her ears. The pull in her gut was stronger and she gave in, opening her bag to pull out the deck of cards she'd always kept in there. Undoing the rubber band, she shuffled through them until she finally landed on the source of the humming, it growing fainter as she picked up the card. A large yellow moon stared up at her and Cressida's surroundings melted away, replaced by the young boy she'd met in pain, his bones cracking and screams ringing in her ears.

She dropped the card like it had burned her, the piece of paper fluttering to the ground as she stared at the space he'd once been standing in. What on earth was he going to go through? What would be that painful?

Crouching down, she picked up the card once again, ignoring the flashes that were now in her memory and tucking the card into the transfiguration book she'd brought along with her, tucking it back in her large bag.

And a few hours later, Cressida left Diagon Alley with a brand new wand, several books about Quidditch, a small grey kitten that Ted had gotten her ("consider it a super late birthday present") and her vision forgotten.

All she remembered was the kind boy who had shown her around. And she hoped she would see him again sooner rather than later.


	2. The Gang Doesn't Do Small Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cressida heads back to Hogwarts

**Chapter One: The Gang Doesn't Do Small Talk**

Cressida leaned against the back of the stiff seat she'd been sat in for almost half an hour. Her parents always had to make sure she got there early so that there was no chance of her ever missing the train. Not that they'd ever had to worry. If she hadn't learned punctuality from her parents, Ted had practically beaten in into her, always making sure she was up an hour before they needed to get anywhere so they had plenty of time in case something happened. He'd even done it at school, sending his owl flying through her bedroom window to peck her awake.

How he'd managed to memorize her schedule when his was so packed was beyond her. At least she wouldn't miss the Prefect meeting. She'd jumped for joy when she'd received the letter, the shiny pin matching Ted's old Hufflepuff one with one crucial difference. Blue and bronze decorated the badge, the metal "P" gleaming whenever she held it in the sunlight.

This was going to be her year. She'd finally managed to come up with a system of notes that didn't leave her scrambling for loose parchment at the last second, she was a Prefect and she'd maybe earn her spot on the Quidditch team back. But there was something more important she had to tackle this year. Because this was the year she was finally going to ask Remus Lupin out.

Cressida gulped at the thought, her stomach twisting. Her friends had been badgering her about it since he'd bought her that damn butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks two years ago and they'd spent the rest of the day discussing their favorite books. Dorcas and Emmeline hadn't let her forget it, spending the rest of the year wiggling their eyebrows and teasing her anytime she and Remus were in the same room.

Cressida was just happy the two of them hadn't found out about her study sessions with the Gryffindor or she was sure she'd never hear the end of it.

Voices rose up from the platform as more families crowded the station, tiny first years dragging their large trunks and owl cages over the stairs and through the tiny corridors of the Hogwarts express, parents anxiously hugging them and cleaning them up before they loaded onto the train.

Cressida smiled at the thought. Her parents never spent any more time than they had to in the Wizarding world. Her father was fascinated with everything, but her mother was always wary of it, like something would attack them from the shadows. Ted had always dismissed it with a wave of his hand, claiming that she was always worried about them. Cressida wasn't sure.

The door of her compartment slammed open and Dorcas flopped down in the seat across from her, blowing a stray curl from her face as she extended her legs across the booth. "You won't believe who I ran into on the way here," Her lips were turned up in a trademark smirk, eyes twinkling. Cressida sighed and closed her book, setting it on her lap as she raised her eyebrow at her friend.

"Are you going to tell me or is this the part where you leave me in suspense?" She asked, a bit of humor in her tone while Dorcas rolled her eyes and pushed her leg.

"I'm not that bad!" She protested, although the smile breaking through her lips told Cressida that she didn't believe a single word she was saying, "I was just trying to have some fun."

Cressida chuckled and shook her head, the two sharing a mischievous look, "Alright, who was it?"

Dorcas' thick heeled boots slammed against the floor of the train, her smile growing wider as she leaned in, "Long legs."

She shook her head, unable to keep the smile off her face, "I told you not to call him that."

Dorcas scoffed, "Oh like the name his friends picked is any better?" The girl leaned against the back of her seat again, "What the hell kind of nickname is _Moony_ anyway?"

Cressida shrugged. She didn't understand half the nicknames Remus' friends gave themselves anyway. It was bad enough they'd started referring to themselves as the 'Marauders' last year, but this past summer they'd taken it further.

She didn't even know them that well, but when Remus had written her, apparently the other boys had caught on, teasing her and signing their names with ridiculous nicknames like 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs', leaving Cressida to try and figure out who was who.

"It doesn't even fit his personality," Dorcas continued to complain, arm dangling over her knee as she moved her feet back off the floor, "Remus is the most level-headed of the four of them. Potter should have that name if anything."

Cressida chuckled again, recalling the curly-haired boy's numerous attempts to get Lily to go out with him the past year. The whole school knew about it at this point, James disrupting every class in order to commit some over-the-top romantic gesture to gain the attention of Lily Evans, one of the few girls from Gryffindor Cressida actually enjoyed talking with.

"He needs to learn to take a hint," Cressida jumped in, the girls' laughter carrying through the corridors of the train, "If she keeps rejecting your advances, perhaps she's just not that into you,"

"Speaking from personal experience Tonks?"

A shot of irritation flew through her veins as she recognized the voice outside her compartment. Cressida plastered a smile on her face as she faced the kid who'd called her out, his two friends flanking him.

James Potter wore an easy smile on his face, his wild curls falling just above his eyebrows. Sirius Black leaned against the compartment with a smirk, his hair longer than she remembered. Cressida's attention, however, flew to the tall kid behind them. Remus had his head down and his hands stuffed in his pockets, like he was avoiding the conversation. Cressida's heart tugged. Remus always looked so uncomfortable at the start of the year, especially on the train. Her gaze lingered on the tall boy for a moment more before turning toward his friend.

"That's funny coming from you Black," She shot back, "Considering half the female population of Hogwarts wants nothing to do with you in the first place."

Sirius bit his lip in irritation, Potter slapping his friend's shoulder as the compartment erupted into laughter. Even Remus let out a little chuckle and Cressida's chest danced in pride.

"Damn Moony," Potter spoke up, a twinkle in his hazel eyes, "You said she was smart but you forgot to tell us how funny she was,"

Cressida simply shrugged, a smile on her face as Remus went red. Out of the corner of her eye, Dorcas was smirking at the interaction, wiggling her eyebrows. Cressida rolled her eyes. There wasn't anything there.

Remus didn't even really interact with her outside of classes and when he was with his friends he almost never acknowledged her. She supposed it wasn't his fault though, James and Sirius were actual children. Cressida would have her hands full if she was in that friend group too.

"I told you plenty of times James, you just weren't listening," Remus chimed in, a soft smile on his face as his eyes met Cressida's. Her pulse raced and she forced herself to sit up straighter, stomach flip-flopping as she held his stare for a brief second before Remus turned away again.

Her shoulders deflated.

"Careful Moony," Potter teased, a playful smile on his face, "I'm starting to think you prefer her company to ours,"  
Remus shrugged nonchalantly, but something lay behind his face, body tensing at James' words.

"And why shouldn't he?" Dorcas chimed in, staring down the three boys, "Cress is a lot more fun than the lot of you."  
James pressed a hand to his chest, a look of mock hurt written across his face at her words, "Oooh, that hurts Meadowes. Here I thought we were friends,"

Dorcas smirked and Cressida chuckled, a brief silence settling over the two groups of friends before more footsteps were heard. The shortest kid of their little group popped up behind them, sandy hair and watery blue eyes looking on eagerly.

"Hey, guys!" Peter chimed in, a wide smile on his face as he surveyed the scene, "What'd I miss?"

"James is giving Remus a hard time again," Cressida explained, arching an eyebrow at the Potter boy. He lifted his hands up in surrender, and more footsteps were heard behind them, a small cough parting the group that was crowding the doorway of the compartment.

"Oh party time's over boys," Sirius chimed in with a smirk on his face, flipping some of his hair out of the way, "The fun police is here."

Emmeline shook her head as she dragged her trunk into the compartment, ignoring the large group of boys she had to wade through. She smiled when she caught Dorcas' gaze, the smaller girl helping Emmeline place her trunk in the above compartment, setting her owl down on the seat beside her.

When the last of Cressida's friends had finished settling in, she turned around, her ponytail whipping around as she crossed her arms. "The train's going to be leaving soon," was all Emmeline said, always trying to keep people in line, "So I suggest you get to your compartments."

Sirius widened his eyes and stuck out his lower lip, like he was a dog begging for more scraps, "Oh come on Vance, Peter's only just got here," He pressed closer, a smirk crawling across his face as he closed some of the space between them, "You wouldn't deny the poor lad a little fun would you?"

Emmeline sent him a sarcastic smile, the expression dipping into a frown as she stared at the foursome, "Yes I would. Now get to your compartments. Now."

A series of 'yes ma'am's' left the boys' mouths, although Remus stayed quiet. Probably because he knew what it was like to keep all of them in check. Emmeline finally turned her gaze to Remus, a stern look in her eye, "And Remus? Don't forget about the prefect meeting."

He nodded, and while his friend group dispersed, the tall boy lingered there a little while longer, leaning against the compartment door on Cressida's side.

"Congrats, by the way," He smiled, and when she sent him a look of confusion, he simply pointed to the prefect badge in her hand.

"Oh," She shook the stupidity from her head, trying to act like a functional human being around him. "Thank you, you too." She reciprocated, trying to come up with another conversation topic to keep him here a little while longer. An awkward silence hung between the two of them, and Dorcas nudged her leg with her foot.

"So uh, how was your summer?" She asked, cringing inwardly at the small talk she'd forced herself into. Ted was always the one who'd helped her with these types of conversations. Cressida could never start them on her own, that's why she had Dorcas and Emmeline to help her out.

"It was good," Remus answered quickly, twiddling with his thumbs and looking back at the compartment his friends had claimed, "Yours?"

Cressida nodded, trying to seem nonchalant about the whole thing, "Good, I uh, I got to see my brother and my niece so that was really nice."

Remus perked up at the news, like she had said something interesting, "Oh that's great, how are they?"

"They're good," Cressida rushed out, unaware why her palms were starting to get sweaty. She ignored her racing pulse and continued to press forward, the knot of nerves in her stomach tightening as the conversation continued forward. "I'm eager to get back to Hogwarts though. Be around friends again,"

Remus nodded in agreement, scratching the back of his neck with his hand, a shy smile on his face, "Yeah, I uh, I know the feeling."

The awkwardness between them was palpable, and Cressida gulped as silence stood between them, waiting to be broken by either one of them. It was her that shattered it.

"It must be nice for you to hang out with James and Sirius again,"

She wiped her palms discreetly against her jeans, smiling tightly to try and hide the blush that was crossing her cheeks.

Remus sighed into his posture, leaning against the compartment door where Sirius had once been. His maroon sweater hung off his shoulders nicely, sleeves ending just a few inches above his wrists, but he tried to tug on them regardless. "Yeah, I got to see them a bit over the summer, but it's nice to be back here after...everything."

It was the first time Cressida noticed how tired Remus looked. His face was pale and she saw sunken eyes encircled by large purple bags, the color dulled. The only bright spot was his smile. Soft and sweet like the chocolate he always carried with him, it seemed to hold his last bit of energy. She foolishly wondered if he had been saving it for her.

Cressida smiled, hoping to cheer him up a little bit more, "How's your family? Did they have a good summer?"  
Remus tensed at her question and Cress mentally slapped herself. "Yeah," His voice was tight, like it was hard to say the words, "They're, uh, they're great. What about yours?"  
He shifted his gaze away from her, and Cressida bit her lip. _Goddammit._ She knew she'd mess something up eventually. Always putting her foot in her mouth.

"They're good," She rushed out the words, briefly looking away to regain some of her dignity. "Uh, did you get the chance to read the book I recommended?"

Remus' eyes lit up, "Yeah, yeah, I did! I'm right in the middle of it actually," He explained, some of the color coming back into his face, "I'm really enjoying the characters, and if you get the chance I'd like to-"

"Oi Moony!" Black called, his voice carrying over to the other compartment, "Stop flirting with Tonks and get over here."

Red flushed Remus' face and Cressida found herself avoiding his gaze, trying not to think too hard about Sirius' words.

"I'm on my way you lazy git," Remus called back with a smirk, earning a laugh from Cressida.

She tried to stifle it so Black didn't hear, but the sight of Remus's returning smile stopped her efforts. She let her laughter flow freely, the nervous knot in her stomach unraveling as she observed the quiet pride on Remus's face, the boy running a hand through his sandy locks before turning back to her.

"Looks like your friends are waiting," She choked out, trying to seem collected when all she wanted to do was talk to him a little bit more.

Remus nodded, his smile falling slightly, "I suppose I should-"

"Yeah," Cressida finished for him, concealing her disappointment of seeing him go. His fingers drummed the compartment door as he left. Her brain cried out in relief as she watched his retreating figure and all she could think was how badly she had fucked up with that single question about his family.

When Remus had disappeared out of earshot, Cressida let out a strangled groan, sliding down the seat until she was almost on the floor.

"Hey, you did better that time," Emmeline chimed in, trying to sound supportive. Cressida stared at her friend through her fingers, one eyebrow raised skeptically. She was a trainwreck when it came to small talk, and it was even worse with Remus.

When they were studying it was no big deal and she could talk his ear off about any of the subjects they were learning about. Even with stuff they had in common, it wasn't that difficult. But regular conversation was a nightmare, and she couldn't just sass him like she did with the others.

Dorcas moved to say something next, "Em's right, you weren't _that_ big of a trainwreck this time. I mean, he actually answered when you asked about his family, that's huge."

"Oh please," Cressida moved over to their side of the compartment and sat between them, slumping in her seat, "I was an absolute mess and we all know it."  
Her two friends shared a sympathetic look and snuggled closer, Emmeline wrapping an arm around her while Dorcas laid her head on Cressida's shoulder.

"You'll do better next time," Emmeline promised, playing with one of her curls, "I mean, you can talk to Lovegood and Diggory with almost no issue at all." Cressida knew exactly what she was referring to.

In fourth year, Diggory held an end-of-the-year party in the Hufflepuff common room, supplying them with enough booze to make anyone spill their secrets without veritaserum. Cress had been one of the only fourth years invited, although she knew the only reason was because she'd finally grown a rack that year. He'd flirted with her most of the night and she'd had no issue with it. She actually enjoyed the positive attention for once. Lovegood had done the same thing after the winter holidays that year, and Emmeline and Dorcas were still convinced that her efforts to shut him down had only made him fall more in love with her.

Even after she'd told them about the cute boy in Gryffindor he was now dating.

"That's different!" Cress protested, hanging her head in her hands and hunching her shoulders, "Lovegood and Diggory don't have brains. Remus does which makes it so much harder," She whinged, voice muffled as Emmeline pulled her closer. "It's not like I fancy Diggory or Lovegood, they're just friends. Remus…" She trailed off, trying to find the right words, "...isn't."

She let out another frustrated sigh and hung her head.

Dorcas stroked her arm, a sympathetic smile on her face. Silence hung over the three of them, each one trying to find something to say.

Cressida let out a deep breath but stayed slumped in her seat, placing her hands back in her lap. "And now I have to go to the prefect meeting and act like I didn't just embarrass myself knowing he's in the compartment right across from ours..."

A few small chuckles left her friend's mouths and Dorcas intertwined her fingers with Cressida's, a sly smirk working across her face.

"Yeah that's not fun," She paused, like she was getting ready to say something else, "Maybe you should've thought of that before you agreed to be one."

Laughter erupted from the carriage and Cressida slapped her friend in the shoulder, shaking her head. This, she realized, this was what she missed. At home it felt like walking on eggshells, trying not to bring up magic or Hogwarts around her mom in case she got angry. But here it was freeing, to laugh and joke and poke fun at the stupid decisions they'd all made. Cress chuckled at an incident in third year that flashed across her memory. A charms class with the Gryffindors that left Dorcas with no eyebrows and Emmeline with half her hair burnt off, forcing her to get a really bad haircut that year. Poor Flitwick was putting out that fire for hours.

Her head split in pain, and Cressida lifted a hand to her temple, cursing silently. She really wished her magic would figure itself out soon. Seers were rare, she knew, but there had to be some sort of research into knowing which headaches were visions coming on and which were just common side effects. She tried to ask her mother over the summer and came up empty, Mum refusing to say anything other than "ask your grandmother".

She wouldn't even let her touch the tarot cards unless she asked. It was quite ridiculous really. Her visions were so uncontrollable that it wouldn't matter. Thankfully, she always let her pack them for Hogwarts.

"Hey," Dorcas chimed in, brows scrunching together in worry, "Are you okay? It was just a joke, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's not that at all," Cressida waved her concerns away, "It's these stupid headaches, I swear they've only gotten worse over the summer." She complained, moving back over to her seat, a soft meow coming from beside her. Gaia climbed out of her carrier, stretching out before walking over Cressida's thighs and curling up into a ball of grey fur. She smiled at her pet, the lazy thing rarely wanting to move on the best days. She dug her hands into her soft fur and tried to shake the pain away.

"Have you taken your meds today?" Emmeline asked, always making sure that Cressida was on top of things. She nodded, remembering how she'd almost forgotten that morning. It had taken her mother mentioning the six month supply she'd ordered for school to get her to remember. To be fair, Cress wasn't sure how much the medication actually helped. It stopped the humming for a bit and helped her focus, but provided little relief in terms of the headaches. The sleeping pills did more for her than anything else she'd taken.

"I just, I need to figure out how to get a handle on this, or I'm going to have a repeat of History of Magic last year," Cressida bemoaned, running a hand through her curls. She hadn't failed the class, but it was the first year she'd come close and it had been the reason Professor Dumbledore decided to give her private lessons. No one had been more disappointed than Cressida. She'd worked so hard to do her best and always be at the top of her class, so to fail at a basic class because of her own magical power was frustrating.

"You're going to figure it out," Emmeline chimed in, a soft smile on her face, "I mean, you managed to improve Flitwick's cleaning spell within a day, if anyone can do this, it's you."

Cressida blushed at the compliment, smiling at the memory. When she'd finally shown her findings to the Charms Professor, he'd been so giddy he'd given her twenty house points and offered her a biscuit for her hard work. It was the first time she'd felt intelligent enough for her house. Like the sorting hat hadn't made a mistake her first day here.

Dorcas and Emmeline shared a look before leaning in closer, "That being said," The former began, a wry smile on her face, "Do you think maybe…?"

Cressida let out an overexaggerated sigh, chuckling as she pulled the tarot cards out of her bag, "Fine, I guess I can give you one fortune each," She smiled before checking her watch, "As long as we're not late for the meeting."

Cress launched a look toward Emmeline, who gave her a thumbs up. When in doubt, Emmeline always kept them on track. With a nod of approval, Cressida began shuffling the decades-old deck, careful not to accidentally rip the thin cards as she did.

"Alright you two, what do you want?"

Dorcas leaned in first with an eager smile on her face, "A love reading for me please."

Cressida shook her head, an involuntary smile on her face, "Of course, you do. Always trying to find the perfect partner."

"Hey, I love love, what can I say?"

She placed the cards in a towering order, a few falling out as Dorcas asked if she was going to meet her partner soon. When Cressida had all five cards, she moved them around until three were in the middle with one on top and one on the bottom. The backs of the cards looked up at her, and Cressida gulped before closing her eyes and turning the first card over. Small things like this were easy, each vision clear as the world melted into matte black, the Hogwarts Express disappearing. It was replaced by the Ravenclaw common room, the humming surrounding Dorcas warbling into actual words. They were quick flashes, flipping through her brain like she was speed-reading them, feeling much longer than they actually were.

" _I just want someone to cuddle with you know? Like maybe a full-time thing eventually, but right now I just want like...affection."_

Cressida moved her hands to the next three cards, the vision shifting once again, only this time she was only given the voice. She smiled at the familiar tone, recognizing who it was as more images flashed across her brain, laughter and happiness lacing each one. Her cheeks hurt from smiling at the picture for too long, and when she brought her hand to the last card she was jolted into darkness, an anguished scream echoing through the mindspace. It pushed Cressida back into the present and she snatched her hand away from the card, eyes wide as she locked them with Dorcas'.

"What?" Her friend's smile dropped, "What is it, what did you see?"

Cressida cleared her throat, trying to plaster a happy smile on her face for her friend's sake. "Uh, nothing important." She stared down at the spread, reading each card carefully before making her own prediction. "So uh, you're not that ready for a relationship at the moment," Cress explained, trying to shove the cold feeling out of her mind, "You want affection but no commitment, and the person you're looking for needs that next step." She continued onto the next three cards, smiling as she recalled the happiness in the deck. She could feel every bit of it, calling out to her like a tendril of energy wrapping around her. It made her giddy and for a moment she wondered if any of her future spreads would look like this again.

"But the important thing is," Cressida continued, seeing the crestfallen look on Dorcas' face disappear, "You've already met this person, and when you enter a relationship with them, it'll be perfectly happy."

Dorcas giggled, something that Cressida had never heard from her before. "Really?"

Cressida nodded, her smile matching the wide one on her friend's face as she cleared the table. The girl leaned against the window, staring out into the countryside like she had just been told the best news of her life, Emmeline and Cressida sharing a knowing look before their watch alarms went off.

"Shit," Emmeline whispered under her breath, "You can do mine later, right now we're late for the Prefect meeting."

Cressida straightened up, smile dropping into an expression of concern, "Wait, are you serious?"

Emmeline nodded, pulling open the compartment door with speed as she attached the prefect badge to her sweater, tossing Cressida's her way, "Come on, Diggle's going to kill us."

Cressida gulped and attached the badge to her shirt, plopping Gaia in Dorcas' lap as she moved to follow Emmeline out the door.

"Oh come on, don't leave me with her," Dorcas complained, a pleading look on her face, "You know she hates me."

Cressida stuck her head back into the compartment, hanging onto the door as Emmeline tried to usher her away, "I can't just let her roam the compartment. And she hates everybody, don't take it personally."

Cressida then disappeared down the corridor with rushed steps, Dorcas' voice calling after her, "Fine! I'll just eat all the chocolate frogs in retribution!"

"Don't you dare!" Cressida yelled back, laughing as they crossed into the Prefect car, looking for the compartment marked with the Ravenclaw banner. Emmeline had already run ahead, leaving Cressida to try and find it without her help. Her body collided with someone else's and when she looked up, her grey eyes collided with the bright green ones of Remus Lupin. She was struck with the realization that she'd never known his eye color until now.

She liked it.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry," She quickly apologized, trying to keep the blush from spreading across her chest. Stupid, she chastised herself, goddammit now he's going to think you're weirder than you actually are. "I didn't...see you."

Obviously.

Remus chuckled, waving the issue away, "That's perfectly alright," his smile made Cressida's stomach flip over and she found herself chuckling nervously along with him, "You late for the meeting too?"

Cressida nodded, a strained expression on her face, "Yeah, I was doing-I mean I-My friends wanted me to read their cards and I lost track of time."

Remus nodded, "That's right, you told me the summer before first year" He smiled softly, an expression she didn't recognize flashing behind his eyes, "Do you- that is, are you still any good?"

Cress stumbled back at his question, surprised that he remembered that conversation in Flourish and Blotts all those years ago. Surprised that he'd even asked about it in the first place. Usually, it was only Ravenclaws that wanted her to read them. The rest of the school just dismissed her or doubted the validity of divination in the first place.

"I mean…" Her words caught in her throat, and she tried to ignore her brain nagging her to hurry up to the meeting, "Everything I've read has come true so far," She tried to downplay her abilities, repeating what she'd said all those years ago. While it was well known that she was excellent at divination, she wasn't sure she wanted the entire school knowing she actually saw events before they happened.

Remus' eyes went wide and he almost looked impressed. "Wow, that's uh, that's really cool." He complimented, bringing a blush to her cheeks again, "Maybe one day you could give me a reading. Me and the boys I mean," He chuckled again, this time a tinge of nervousness accompanied it and Cressida joined in.

"Yeah," She found herself saying, unsure where it had come from while her brain was screaming at her to do the opposite, "I'd love to, if you want me to."

"I want you to," Remus quickly assured her, like he was worried, "I mean, I'm sure James and Sirius would be interested as well."

Cressida suddenly realized what this was. Somehow the so-called Marauders had found out about her doing readings and wanted some of their own. Goddammit, it was probably Lovegood, the blabbermouth. Her chest deflated as she realized that's why Remus had asked about it. He didn't really remember anything she'd said, he wasn't even that interested, he was just a conduit for his friends. She nodded curtly, glancing back down the corridor, "Well, I should probably-"

"Oh right,"

Cress tightened her lips, sending him a small wave as she ducked into the Ravenclaw compartment, sneaking in next to Emmeline as Diggle continued his speech about setting an example for the other students.

Her chest squeezed itself tightly and she tried not to think about the conversation she had just had. Her lips screwed themselves into a frown, teeth chewing on her lower one as she stared out into space, not even registering anything the Head Boy was saying.

"Hey," Emmeline whispered beside her, a worried expression on her face, "Is everything okay?"

Cressida shook her head slightly, mouthing 'later' as Diggle handed the floor over to Trelawney. She had no idea what she was doing, obviously. Trelawney and Cress had never seen eye to eye, especially after Cressida had stepped in during a study session and solved a particularly difficult Divination question with little problem. Sybil had gone mental, claiming that she didn't know what she was talking about. The next day Trelawney had ignored her after finding out that Cressida had been correct.

She'd held a grudge against her ever since.

How she managed to become Head Girl was an absolute mystery to Cressida, but she supposed Dumbledore and Flitwick knew best when it came to that sort of thing. The rest of the meeting went by in a blur, all the information going in one ear and out the other. Cressida was sure Emmeline would give her the rundown when they got back in their compartment, especially since she missed the first couple minutes of the meeting.

When they left the compartment, Emmeline came to a stop in the hallway with an expectant look on her face, "Spill, right now."

Cressida sighed, watching several other prefects make their way toward the student cars, trying to keep her voice low, "It was just a run-in with Remus, I'll tell you about it when we get back,"

Emmeline didn't relent though, and she grasped her arm and pulled her back, "Oh my god, did it go okay? Like with the-"

"I managed to have a conversation with him, yes," Cressida sighed before continuing along the corridor, practically dragging Emmeline behind her. Her friend sped up her steps until she was walking side by side with her, "Well, how did it go? What'd he say? What'd you do?"

Cressida scoffed at her friend's behavior. Em could pretend all she liked that she was above the drama and too busy with school to care, but she and Dorcas knew better. Emmeline loved to be involved, she wanted to be a part of the big stuff, and unfortunately, that included Cressida's conversations with Remus.

By the time they reached the car, Emmeline looked like she was ready to burst and Dorcas stared up at the two of them, confusion written across her face. The trolley had come and gone, evidenced by the dozens of chocolate frog wrappers and empty Bertie Botts boxes on the seats and Cressida wished it would come by again. She needed some candy to help her calm down.

"What the bloody hell is she so excited about?"

Emmeline only turned toward their friend, eyes wide with excitement as Cressida settled back into her seat, Gaia letting out a soft meow before curling up on her lap again.

"Looks like you managed to not kill her," She observed with a teasing smile, causing Dorcas to roll her eyes.

"Just barely," Dorcas protested, "The mongrel survives this time."

Cressida chuckled as she scratched Gaia's grey fur, but when she caught Emmeline's harsh gaze she stopped.

"It wasn't a big deal Em," She dismissed, trying not to seem as upset as she was, "He just asked me to read his friend's fortunes."

Emmeline deflated and crashed back in her seat, "That's all?"

Cressida shrugged, "I told you, not that big a deal."

The girl shook her head as silence fell over the group once more, the constant chugging of the train against the tracks the only sound other than the occasional purr.

Dorcas slipped another jellybean into her mouth, grimacing at the taste before spitting it out in a napkin. "Barf," was all she said. When she'd finally gotten her bearings, the girl let out an exasperated sigh. "You guys were lucky you weren't here when Snape was looking for Evans."

Both girls snapped their gazes up at the news, well-aware of the Slytherin's friendship with the studious muggleborn. Cressida had nothing against Snape except his superiority complex and the way he lorded over his potions grade over everyone else, but over the last year he'd gotten increasingly more difficult and snobbish. Not to mention he willingly hung out with Mulciber. Emma Vanity had given her all the details in potions last year, always willing to dish on the long-haired boy and his endless attempts to woo Lily Evans.

"What did he do this time?" Cress asked, leaning forward, "Pick a fight with Potter again?"

"I wish," Dorcas sighed, picking nervously at her nails, pulling at the skin around them. The air changed. What was once playful was now serious, and an unsettling feeling washed over her as Cressida watched Dorcas deep in thought. "He came in looking for Evans, said some rude things, and left."

Emmeline lowered her voice, "What kind of things?"

Dorcas shifted in her seat uncomfortably, "It doesn't matter. He found Evans not that long after it anyway."

Cressida's chest tugged. She knew what was being said, how more anti-muggleborn rhetoric was being spread now than it had before. She'd even heard whispers from some of her friends of a man amassing a following of purebloods. She wasn't sure how much of it she believed, but clearly, it was making an appearance at Hogwarts.

"Dor," She spoke carefully, anger bubbling underneath her calm demeanor, "What did he say?"

Her friend went silent and stared dead ahead, tone void of any emotion but anger, "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Clearly you do if you brought it up."

"Cressida-" Dorcas silenced her off with one of her death glares, letting her know that the conversation was over with, "I'm done talking about it."

Cressida nodded, an uncomfortable silence hanging over the three of them. Dorcas went back to staring out of the window, lips pursed. Emmeline had cracked open a book on her lap but she was still sending looks of concern over to the other girl. Cressida let it go and leaned her head against the back of the seat, closing her eyes as she let the tiredness wash over her, trying to ignore the pounding in the back of her head. It still persisted despite her efforts, and she was tired of it. It had been going on for ages and she still had no idea how to handle it. Baba Esme, try as she might, still had no understanding of the wizarding world and Mum refused to even try and learn about it, so Cressida was on her own. There was very little anyone knew about seers, let alone how they worked. She could only hope Pince had more books on Divination than she did last year.

Cressida smiled as her thoughts drifted to Hogwarts, dreaming of Halloween feasts and snuggling in her four-poster-bed, Emmeline and Dorcas staying up with her until it was too late, watching the stars from the Astronomy tower and trying to sneak back before the Prefects found them. It was a sweet memory, and Cressida leaned into it as the countryside passed by, her thoughts drifting away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the love and comments on this story! Please leave kudos/comments if you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: Once again, I am American so please forgive my ignorance. Also, I only own Cressida and the characterization of her family. JK owns everything else (but she can pry my headcanons from my cold, dead, hands)


	3. The Gang Pisses Off Trelawney

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cressida gets distracted and has to deal with the consequences.

**Chapter Two: The Gang Pisses Off Trelawney**

Cressida greeted the skeletal horses as she climbed into the carriage, well-aware that Emmeline and Dorcas always thought she was crazy for thinking there was something there. "Just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they're not there" She had said to them in third year. Both of them just rolled their eyes and collapsed on the nice seats in the carriage. It was raining out, like it so often did but Cressida didn't let the weather get her down. Emmeline and Dorcas were already cozying up next to each other so she took the other side like she usually did, watching her friends with a wry smile on her face.

"Did you read the Daily Prophet this week?" Emmeline immediately asked, her face lighting up as she began to discuss the articles, "Apparently the whole 'Voldemort' thing is real."

Cressida shook her head, "Is that really what they're calling him?"

"More like what he calls himself," Dorcas chimed in, her mood improving a bit since their last conversation on the train, "My mum was telling me about it. Apparently, this guy's got a ton of old families on his side, says he's one of them." She stuffed another jellybean in her mouth from her pocket, "I know Rodolphous Lestrange was bragging about being on his side at the Ministry."

Irritation sprung up in her chest. She wasn't stupid enough to believe that some of the families wouldn't buy that rhetoric. In fact, most probably would, knowing how they felt about blood status. She couldn't give less of a shit."Well, I'm not surprised considering how awfully he treated Ted while he was here." Cressida piped up, recalling how many times Ted had gotten in trouble for hexing the older boy, "This guy's just another tosser who's preying on their worst fears. He won't get far."

Not with Dumbledore around.

Emmeline gave her a strained look, "I don't know," She looked over her shoulder before leaning in, like she held some big secret, "I overheard Snape and Mucliber on the platform before we left, apparently he's been recruiting giants and werewolves to his cause. Says he can offer them a better life."

Cressida rolled her eyes, "What a load of shit, besides, are giants even real?"

Emmeline and Dorcas shared a look before turning back toward Cressida. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, a tense knot beginning to form in her gut at their silence, deciding to change the subject, "So what? Are Snape and Mulciber part of Voldemort's little club now?"

"Probably," Dorcas whispered through gritted teeth, "the two gits would be blood purists wouldn't they?"

She'd meant it as a joke but something in Dorcas' gaze told Cressida it was anything but. She immediately knew that there needed to be a change of subject, although Emmeline would be disappointed she didn't get to talk more about it, "Come on, I'm tired of wizard politics," She jolted forward as the carriages began to move, theirs lacking an extra person, "Besides, we're perfectly safe with Dumbledore."

Dorcas looked unsure, like somehow it wasn't enough anymore. Emmeline opened her mouth to say something else but Cress cut her off with a look, knowing that was the last thing Dorcas wanted. The taller girl rolled her eyes and stared out at the passing scenery, not wishing to say anything more.

"Can we please talk about something else?" Cressida begged, trying to get the fun atmosphere back. The girls shared a look before Dorcas's smirk returned, "Alright then, how about we talk about you and Long Legs?"

She rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile on the edge of her lips "I told you to call him Remus," Cressida reminded the wild-haired girl, secretly enjoying the nickname, "And there's nothing to talk about."

"Really?" Emmeline jumped in with a wide smirk, glad to finally be back on this topic, "Cause that's not what I saw after the meeting."

Cressida scoffed, "Oh please, you didn't see anything except what I told you."

Dorcas leaned forward, looking between the two of them while her face lit up like a baby finding candy for the first time, "Wait, Remus was the one who asked you to read his cards?" She burst into giggles at the new information, "Oh merlin Cress, of course there's something going on there."

Her cheeks flushed at her friend's comments while her chest leapt at the thought of Remus' invitation holding something more. Unfortunately, she had to shatter her friend's expectations with her next sentence, "He only asked because James and Sirius put him up to it," She reminded them, not wanting to have this conversation again.

They either ignored her or couldn't hear her over their laughter and Cressida turned her gaze toward the dark sky, examining the bright stars that were staring down at her, a few poking through the clouds as the rain continued to fall softly on the carriage windows.

Their laughter slowly faded until all that was left was quiet.

Silence hung over the three of them until Dorcas spoke up again. "He called me a Mudblood," Emmeline and Cressida stood up, chest jumping into her throat as the brunette leaned forward, ready to engulf the dark-skinned girl in her arms at any moment. "Snape did?"

Dorcas bit her lip and nodded, looking ready to combust. Her brown eyes darkened at the memory and her tone was low and dangerous, like she was getting ready to strike. "I told him to sod off and he called me…"

She couldn't even say the word, not that Cressida could blame her. It was bad enough that is existed in the first place, but the fact that Snape and Mulicber were tossing it around like the weather made Cress's blood boil.

"It doesn't even make sense," Emmeline chimed in, shaking her head, "You're a half-blood, not a muggleborn."

Dorcas' gaze never left the carriage floor and her hands balled themselves up to fists. Cressida could see her shaking with anger, and the silence was enough of an invitation to let her speak. "He said I was as good as before Mulciber called me something worse and Potter chased them away."

She pulled her friend in for a deeper hug, silently thanking James Potter for being unable to resist arguing with Snape. The three girls moved closer together, arms wrapped around each other as Dorcas's silent tears dripped onto their arms, the girl shaking the rest of the carriage ride down.

* * *

"First years this way!" Cress heard Emmeline call, quickly following suit. She stuffed a pumpkin pasty in the pockets of her robes before fumbling with the book she'd been carrying since the train.

"First years follow me!" Cress called, ignoring Trelawney's withering look as she helped escort the students through the halls and winding corridors, trying to remember the timing of the staircases so they wouldn't have to take a detour on their way to the Ravenclaw tower.

Several of them huddled together, sharing apprehensive and awe-filled glances as they passed the large suits of armor and moving staircases as she and Lovegood took the lead, some sixth-year prefects bringing up the rear to make sure that none of the kids got lost or strayed. Cressida smiled as she remembered her first day at Hogwarts, the high walls and cavernous halls intimidating her into stunned silence before the hat burst into song.

She'd been horribly alone, unable to even make friends on the train, just sitting there while Ted conversed with his friends and cuddled with Andromeda. Cressida remembers locking eyes with him for the entire ceremony, blushing brightly when the hat called out 'Ravenclaw' without so much as touching her head. She'd been in the same boat as these first years were, and she shared smiles with them as they followed her up the shifting staircases, finally reaching the tower without any incident.

"Hey, Tonks!" Edgar Corner, Ravenclaw's resident ladies man (his words not hers) called to her, a twinkle in his eye as the sixth years began the regular spiel about the riddle and the eagle door knocker, "Ten sickles it's the circle riddle again." He'd appeared out of nowhere, but she had the sinking feeling that he'd been lurking outside the room waiting for her to show up so he could try one of his lines on her again. It had been innocent fun when she'd asked to hear some at the opening feast, she didn't expect him to keep it up. Not to mention waiting for her to appear with the first years.

Cressida sighed and dropped her arm, cocking her hip as she raised an eyebrow at the prefect, "No thanks Corner, the riddle does the same one every year and I don't feel like losing money to you."

The knocker never wanted to confuse students on the first day, so it offered a relatively simple riddle. Cress could recite it in her sleep, and had many times after an all-nighter at the library. Rowena Ravenclaw may have been overly pretentious when it came to setting up the common room for her students, but at least she was somewhat gracious. Still, it never failed to piss Cress and her friends off when they'd realized that the other houses had a much easier system of getting into their common rooms.

She heard the eagle's voice ask the students the same riddle every year when first years came in, although it would only let the ones who'd answered it immediately through.

_"Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?"_

A soft murmur fell over the large group of first years, and the sixth year prefect immediately put on an air of confusion, scrunching their eyebrows and turning toward the group of students before declaring that they had no idea.

The farce had been Flitwick's idea and it had been a part of the Ravenclaw initiation process since her second year. There had always been a competitive air among the House, so Flitwick ordered the prefects to pretend not to know the answer to the riddles in order to facilitate teamwork.

Cressida rolled her eyes at the overexaggerated expression of the prefect and checked her watch, wondering if she had enough time to ask Madame Pince if she'd gotten anything new in her catalog. Abandoning Corner and the first years at the door, her footsteps took her down the corridor and waiting for another staircase.

She had the way to the library memorized, and was inconspicuous enough to go unnoticed by most of the student body. Her footsteps stopped at the large double doors, heart sinking into her stomach and shoulders deflating as she saw the sign Pince had placed on the door.

_Library Closed for Renovation_

_Will Be Open After Halloween Holidays_

_Please See Head of House for Further Information_

"You've got to be kidding me," Cressida's mouth popped open, unable to believe what she was seeing. The library was never closed. It had always been open, even over the winter and Easter holidays. It was her safety net, the one place she could go when things got too loud.

"Guess we gotta find somewhere else to study then?"

Cressida jumped slightly at Remus' humorous tone, unused to it. She stammered a bit before letting out a sigh and trying to regain her footing. "Looks like it."

She bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to keep her bundled nerves from breaking free and ruining this conversation.

Remus brought his hand to the back of his neck again, face slightly red as he refused to hold her gaze for more than a few seconds. She didn't know whether to be offended or not.

"It's even worse because this is an OWL year and I was really looking forward to getting a head start," Cressida continued to complain, hoping that the subject would ease some of the awkwardness between them.

Remus chuckled slightly, "I think you're the only student I know who wants to spend her first day back in the library."

Cressida felt the blood rush to her cheeks and moved her gaze toward the floor, trying not to think too hard about the implications of Remus' words. Did he think she was weird for wanting to do that? Would he want to be friends with her anymore?

"I mean, it's admirable," He quickly moved to reassure her, as if he could see the wheels in her head turn, "I know most fifth years probably won't begin studying until after the holidays, so good for you."

Pride swelled in Cress's chest as those words left his mouth, unable to keep the smile off her face as her teeth scraped her bottom lip. "Thanks," she replied, her face growing hot, "And I was really just hoping to see if Madame Pince had gotten any new books, not like I wasn't gonna sleep there or anything,"

"Like last year?" Remus teased slightly, shoving his hands in his pockets as red flooded his face again. Cressida chuckled nervously, still embarrassed that Remus had found her as the sun was coming up one day, curled up in one of the armchairs near the restricted section. His laughter filled her ears, a musical sound that caused her heart to skip a beat.

Bloody hell, she was in deep, wasn't she?

Remus cleared his throat, running a hand through his sandy locks before stuffing it back in his pockets. "So, uh, our study sessions…."

Cressida's eyes widened in realization, "Oh yes! Um, I guess we could meet in the common room, although Emmeline and Dorcas would never let me hear the end of it," She mumbled, unsure if she wanted to come clean about the sessions after five years of secrecy. Besides, she liked having Remus all to herself. It was selfish, but she liked his company. It felt nice to have something no one else knew about. From the look on Remus' face, he didn't seem that comfortable to be studying in the common room either, and Cressida suppressed a giggle at the expression. "Alright, so not that then."

Remus stammered over his next words before sighing. A moment passed and suddenly his eyes lit up, a soft smile tugging on his lips. "I know a place! Meet me in the Gryffindor Common Room at six, it's when James is holding Quidditch tryouts. The password is Ad Astra"

Cressida chuckled at the phrase, crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow, "To the stars? That's the key to the Gryffindor dorms this year?"

Remus shrugged, his smile still plastered on his face, "No one ever said the Fat Lady was creative."

Her shoulders shook slightly as laughter escaped her lips. "Alright, the Gryffindor Common Room it is then."

"I promise, I have a reason for it." He tried to explain, running a hand through his hair again. A nervous tick, she was realizing. Cressida nodded, trying to keep her smile contained.

"Oh, I believe you," She teased, a glint of mischief in her eyes. His smile became less strained. Although, like her, Remus was on edge, nervous for some reason as his hands went from his pockets to the back of his neck to running through his hair. Something was bothering him, or someone. Cressida continued to bounce on the balls of her feet, glancing at her watch so her stares weren't obvious. Her heart dropped into her stomach when she realized what time it was.

"Oh shit," She muttered, "I have to go, Trelawney's gonna kill me." She met Remus' wide gaze, his stare reminding her of a puppy dog as an apology fell from her lips, "I'm so sorry I lost track of the time and I forgot that I had to explain stuff to the first years and-"

He waved her apology away, "Don't worry about it. You go, we both know how Trelawney gets"

Cress smiled gratefully and dashed down the hallway, her feet taking her down the corridor and toward the stairs, barely reaching the top before it shifted again, her feet almost meeting empty air. She ran down the hallway and up the spiral staircase, out of breath and doubling over as she knocked on the door, no one else around except a tiny first year, who Cressida suspected accidentally stepped out.

_"Under pressure is the only way I work. By myself is the only way I'm hurt. What am I?"_ The knocker asked and Cressida took a deep breath in before exhaling out.

"Me- Merlin- the answer's- me." She spoke through heavy breaths, the knocker growing silent. _Don't you dare,_ she willed the knocker to accept her answer. She'd defend it if she had to. Thankfully, the door popped open and she slid into the airy room, a sliver of moonlight shining through the arched windows and the blue and bronze silks. Emmeline and Dorcas had already snagged a table near the reading alcove, playing what looked like a heated game of wizard's chess. Cressida sighed and collapsed in the chair next to them, dropping her head in her arms and letting out an exhaustive sigh.

"There she is!" Dorcas teased, a wide smile on her face, "Oh Trelawney's pissed at you now, Tonks."

Cressida flipped her head up, ready to defend herself, but coming up short. "I just went to the library," She tried to explain. Dorcas and Emmeline shot her a confused look.

"The library's closed-"

"For renovation," Cressida finished Emmeline's sentence with a frustrated sigh, "I know that _now_. How did you guys find out?"

Emmeline shrugged, pushing her reading glasses up her nose a little bit further, her knight taking a swipe at Dorcas' pawn, "Dumbledore mentioned it at the feast, don't you remember?"

Cressida shook her head, trying to recall when Dumbledore had brought it up. To be honest, she was struggling to remember anything about the feast at all, it always passed in a blur to her.

"She never pays attention," Dorcas smirked, moving her queen into position. Emmeline smirked and moved her bishop down the board until it slammed into the Queen, leaving the King wide open.

"And neither do you. I believe that's checkmate," The dark-haired girl bragged. Dorcas let out a sigh and scraped the pieces of the set back into the box.

"You know I'm shit at strategy," The dark-skinned girl sighed and pushed the box away from her, Emmeline relishing in her victory, "That's why I play Quidditch."

"Hey!" Cressida piped up, ready to defend the sport, "Quidditch requires some strategy."

"Not really," Dorcas shook her head, laughter leaving her lips, "I mean, catching the snitch is half the battle, as long as you get that you've won."

Cressida smirked, "So you finally admit that the seeker is the most valuable position on the team?"

"I did not say that-"

"Yes you did, you said-"

"I was talking about-"

"Oh please-"

"TONKS!"

Cress felt her blood run cold as Sybil Trelawney's voice rang through the circular common room, her piercing blue eyes meeting Cress's big brown ones.

"Uh oh," Dorcas mumbled under her breath, the entire common room on edge as Trelawney descended the staircase leading to the dormitories.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?"

Cress racked her brain, trying to come up with an excuse Sybil would actually believe but drawing a blank. "I uh, I went looking for some stray first years,"

Dorcas sighed and Cress found herself agreeing with her. Even she was disappointed in that lie. It didn't placate Trelawney either, hands on her hips and a cocked eyebrow, eyes blazing.

It was made worse with her glasses, almost giving off the impression of an owl scanning for its prey. Except now she was the prey and Trelawney was about to rip her apart with her talons.

"Prefects are supposed to set an example," The seventh year began, trying to seem authoritative but failing, "You failed to do that when you went wandering off on your own doing god knows what and almost costing us House points."

"But I didn't, did I?" Cress offered, hoping it would be enough to get her off the hook.

It wasn't.

Trelawney pulled out a tiny notepad from the large beaded bag that was slung over her shoulder, a quill at the ready. Her hand scratched across the paper before slamming the notepad shut with a passive-aggressive hum. Cressida's stomach jumped into her throat at the gesture, the knot worsening as she waited for Trelawney to hand out her punishment.

When neither woman said anything, Cress opened her mouth to speak, "What did you just do?"

Trelawney relished in the fear for a moment with a proud smirk on her face, "I changed your rounds. Now you'll be patrolling with Lovegood from midnight to two."

"AM?!" Cressida asked incredulously, mouth dropping open at the blatant misuse of power, "That's reserved for-"

"For whoever the Head Boy and Girl deem fit," Trelawney rubbed the victory in her face, "Perhaps you might learn something along the way, us Ravenclaw's are supposed to be smart after all."

The anger bubbled up inside of her, hands pressing themselves into a fist every time Cress caught the smug look on Trelawney's face, "Really? Then how'd you get sorted in here?"

The look on Trelawney's face was almost worth the stinging slap the girl had given her before huffing and turning around. Cress's cheek was red from impact and the pain bloomed across her face, certain to at least leave a bruise by the morning. The entire common room was staring her down and Cressida could only sigh as she collapsed on one of the couches near the fire, draping her entire body across it as her arm flopped across her face.

"I bloody hate her. Making me patrol that late of all times."

The sound of footsteps was heard next to her and Cress felt her legs lifted up and plopped back down. She removed her arm long enough to see Emmeline on the edge of the couch, Dorcas spread out across the other one.

Emmeline sighed, "She is right though. You shouldn't have wandered off."

"I was at the library! It's not like I was sneaking out to meet someone," Cressida protested, ignoring the pounding headache that had started up again. She rubbed her temples with the heel of her hand, and Dorcas sighed.

"I'll get the tea, you get the blankets."

"No." Cressida stopped her friends in their tracks, shaking it away, "It's nothing. I'll talk to Madame Pomfrey tomorrow during my free hour, maybe she'll have some kind of magical remedy."

"Or…" Emmeline chimed in, a chastising look on her face as Cressida adjusted her position on the couch, "Here's a funny idea, you could actually take your sleeping meds."

"I have-"

Emmeline silenced her with a look and Cressida withdrew into herself.

"The House Elves were unloading your belongings and I noticed how full the bottle was," The girl explained, patting Cress's leg in comfort. It wasn't that the medication didn't work, it was that she had no time for sleep when there was so much to be done. Nighttime was when she did her best work, and now with her late patrol schedule, there was no need for them anymore. They'd just cause her to fall asleep during class or she'd oversleep and miss something important. Neither option was good. She didn't need the medication anymore. And if Madame Pomfrey had the answers to her problem then all the better! Muggle remedies didn't work as well as they used to. Not after she'd discovered what she was.

"Fine, I haven't been taking them, but only because-"

"No excuses," Emmeline reminded her, almost sounding like her mother, "I know this past summer has been hard, but you still need to take them."

Cress shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek. Merlin, she hated when Emmeline was right.

"I'm still seeing Pomfrey tomorrow," Cressida switched subjects and Emmeline let out a sigh, disappointed at the subject change but not pressing any further.

Thankfully, Dorcas chimed in with her usual charm. "You said you were at the library right?"

Cress nodded.

The girl squinted her direction, "So what were you doing that caused you to lose track of time so quickly?"

Shit, she knew this question was going to get asked eventually. It didn't make admitting to it any easier.

"I ran into Remus and we started talking."

She could feel the atmosphere shift instantly, wide smiles, and open mouths replacing the previously disappointed and sympathetic gazes she was used to.

"No way," Dorcas laughed, leaning back against the couch, "Of course it was Long Legs, only you would have that bad of luck."

Cressida picked up one of the pillows and threw it at the other girl, the decoration smacking Dorcas in the face. The girl retaliated by throwing it back at Cressida, She blinked and blew a raspberry as it sailed directly into her face, mussing up her hair and eliciting giggles from the trio. The giggles evolved into full-blown laughter and soon Cressida was clenching her stomach as the sound rose up and echoed off the walls of the circular room, no doubt confusing the new students and earning the trio sighs from the returning ones.

"What did he say?" Emmeline asked through breaths, hand pressed to her chest.

Cress was still laughing when she answered her friend's question, "He just wanted to talk that's all."

"Yeah but about what?"

Cressida shrugged, trying to keep the secret study sessions out of her mouth, "Nothing, we just talked about the library and our OWLs."

The two girls shared a skeptical look before staring at her. Cress sighed and sat up straight, bringing her legs to the floor, "I mean it. That's all we talked about."

"Sure it is," Dorcas continued to tease, tossing another pillow her way, both of them not believing a word she said when it came to her conversations with the Gryffindor. Cress shook her head and leaned back against the couch, finally relaxed until someone else called her name.

"Tonks!"

Cressida turned to find Bertram Aubrey, Ravenclaw's Quidditch captain and resident beater, staring her down. "What do you want Aubrey?"

Aubrey was a sixth year who tried too hard to be intimidating in order to impress the younger students. If it wasn't for Quidditch, Cressida didn't think she'd actually associate with the pale-haired kid.

"I wanted to talk to you about tryouts," He announced, looking around the room to see if any other years had noticed how loud he was speaking, "You're still our seeker right?"

Cressida let out a frustrated sigh, irritation swirling in her chest as she recalled last year's events that had landed her in the hospital and Aubrey searching for a reserve seeker after he'd called her 'weak' and claimed 'it was a mistake to make you seeker'.

But now, here he was. Crawling back on his knees because Barty Crouch had been abysmal. The fourth-year was a fantastic keeper, the team almost never scored when he was guarding the poles. But he'd absolutely failed as a seeker and both Cress and Aubrey knew it.

"That depends," She relished in his pleading, recognizing the desperate look on his face, "Are you going to call me a bitch this time?"

Bertram's face fell and he shook his head, gulping as he waited for her answer.

Oh, how she loved to make him wait. It was his punishment for treating her so poorly last year. She's brought up the whole situation to Flitwick and McGonagall too, who'd no doubt given Aubrey a stern talking to and a slap on the wrist.

She loved Quidditch. It gave her a chance to not overthink everything for once. Instead, it was just her and the golden snitch while the game raged on and the audience cheered around her. But that didn't mean she didn't like watching Aubrey squirm.

"Great!" Cressida smiled, her demeanor completely changing, "Then I'll see you Friday for tryouts!"

When she turned back around, Bertram took that as his cue to leave and victory danced in Cressida's chest, her friends' smirks validating her even more.

"You're good," Dorcas teased. Cressida simply shrugged innocently, like she didn't know what she was talking about.

They continued their conversations as the fire continued to burn, warmth filling the common room as rain sprinkled the windows of the tall tower until more and more students retreated upstairs, leaving the three of them alone. Soon the only sound in the common room other than the chiming of the clock was the crackling of the fire and the hushed voices of her friends.

She was awoken by Sara Crouch a few hours later.

"Hey," The blonde whispered, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, sleep tinging her voice, "Isn't it almost midnight?"

Her yawn made Cressida yawn and she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Yeah," Cress sighed, peeling her head off Emmeline's shoulder, trying not to wake the girl, "Thanks, Sara."

The girl yawned again before heading over to the reading alcove. Cressida smiled at the girl she shared a dorm with. Sara always had trouble falling asleep the first night, so she'd usually grab a book and read until she fell asleep. Cressida felt bad for not checking in on the girl, but she hadn't even seen her at the feast, and they ran in almost completely different social circles.

But she'd always been nice to her, and Cress made a silent promise to check on the girl if she was still awake when she got back from her patrol. She heard footsteps come from the other side of the common room, Lovegood descending the staircase in a similar state to herself, wiping the sleep from his eyes. His pale blonde hair looked almost ethereal in the dim light, the stick-straight locks falling past his shoulders.

"You ready Tonks?" He yawned, stretching out his arms, an audible crack heard as he leaned back.

She nodded, tucking a curl behind her ear as they stepped out the door, the drafty winds and cold air creating goosebumps across her skin as it swung shut behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the love and comments on this story! Please leave kudos/comments if you enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> Disclaimer: Once again, I am American so please forgive my ignorance. Also, I only own Cressida and the characterization of her family. JK owns everything else (but she can pry my headcanons from my cold, dead, hands)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys so much for reading! The next chapter is gonna jump forward to the start of her fifth year!
> 
> Please leave kudos and a comment if you enjoyed the chapter!


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